Angel of church in Ephesus (Rev 2: 1-7)
Rev 2: 1-7
1“To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:
2“I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars;
3and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.
4Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
5Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.
6But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
7“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” ’
*I know your works, your labor, your patience (ver.2 up)
1 Cor 15: 58Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
1 Cor 3: 8Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
Rom 8: 18For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
2 Cor 4: 17For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
Heb 10: 35-36 35Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. 36For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:
Luke 21: 17-19 17And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. 18But not a hair of your head shall be lost. 19By your patience possess your souls.
James 1: 3-4 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
*and that you cannot bear those who are evil. (ver.2 mid)
Psa 119: 119You put away all the wicked of the earth like dross; Therefore I love Your testimonies.
Isa 1: 25I will turn My hand against you, And thoroughly purge away your dross, And take away all your alloy.
Prov 25: 4-5 4Take away the dross from silver, And it will go to the silversmith for jewelry. 5Take away the wicked from before the king, And his throne will be established in righteousness.
Matt 13: 41The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness,
*And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars (ver.2 low)
2 Cor 11: 13-15 13For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.
Matt 7: 15“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
2 John 9-11 9Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. 10If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; 11for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.
*that you have left your first love. (ver.4 low)
Matt 24: 12And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.
1 John 3: 11, 14, 16-19 11For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, 14We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. 16By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.
1 John 4: 7-9 7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.
*Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, (ver.5 up)
Matt 3: 2, 8 2and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” 8Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,
2 Pet 3: 9low, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
Acts 11: 18When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”
James 5: 16Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
Rom 14: 11-12 11For it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.” 12So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.
*or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. (ver.5 low)
Matt 21: 41, 43 41They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.” 43“Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.
Matt 25: 28-30 28Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 29‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
*But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. (ver.6)
The acts of Korah and his companions and Nicolaitans are as evil, which God hates. (Num 16: 2-3 2and they rose up before Moses with some of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, representatives of the congregation, men of renown. 3They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?”)
Num 16: 4-12 4So when Moses heard it, he fell on his face; 5and he spoke to Korah and all his company, saying, “Tomorrow morning the Lord will show who is His and who is holy, and will cause him to come near to Him. That one whom He chooses He will cause to come near to Him. 6Do this: Take censers, Korah and all your company; 7put fire in them and put incense in them before the Lord tomorrow, and it shall be that the man whom the Lord chooses is the holy one. You take too much upon yourselves, you sons of Levi!” 8Then Moses said to Korah, “Hear now, you sons of Levi: 9Is it a small thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the work of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to serve them; 10and that He has brought you near to Himself, you and all your brethren, the sons of Levi, with you? And are you seeking the priesthood also? 11Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against the Lord. And what is Aaron that you complain against him?” 12And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, but they said, “We will not come up!
Num 16: 28-35 28And Moses said: “By this you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own will. 29If these men die naturally like all men, or if they are visited by the common fate of all men, then the Lord has not sent me. 30But if the Lord creates a new thing, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the pit, then you will understand that these men have rejected the Lord.” 31Now it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them, 32and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods. 33So they and all those with them went down alive into the pit; the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly. 34Then all Israel who were around them fled at their cry, for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up also!” 35And a fire came out from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering incense.
Num 26: 9-11 9The sons of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. These are the Dathan and Abiram, representatives of the congregation, who contended against Moses and Aaron in the company of Korah, when they contended against the Lord; 10and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up together with Korah when that company died, when the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men; and they became a sign. 11Nevertheless the children of Korah did not die.
*“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” ’(ver.7)
The Holy Spirit guided John to write the revelation, it is the spirit of vigilance and blessed are those who keep the prophecies of this book. If we gain victory over the weakness of Ephesus and also steadfast ourselves, God will give us to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.
Rev 22: 14Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
From Bible Study Seminar 1982 (Chinese ver)